Online Reporter
WHAT unfolded at Queens Sports Club was not a defeat. It was a national embarrassment. The Chevrons were humiliated by a youthful South Africa. This wasn’t just bad cricket. It was the collapse of a broken system laid bare before the nation.
South Africa, missing seven first-choice players, handed Zimbabwe its biggest Test losses in history. The first Test was lost by 328 runs. The second by an innings and 236 runs. These are not defeats. These are disasters. And they happened in Bulawayo, at home, in front of suffering fans.
Wiaan Mulder scored 367 not out. That’s just 23 runs short of Zimbabwe’s total from both innings combined. The Proteas took 40 wickets in two matches. Zimbabwe, on a batting-friendly pitch, folded like paper. It was clear. The Chevrons were outclassed, outcoached and out of their depth.
The problem runs deeper than poor performances. It is rooted in rot at the core of Zimbabwe Cricket. The selection system is in shambles. Players are chosen not based on form or stats, but on who they know and where they come from.
Take Takudzwanashe Kaitano. A 32-year-old opener with a Logan Cup average of 26. He scored 52 runs in four innings, including two ducks. Meanwhile, Tanunurwa Makoni and Innocent Kaia, who averaged 65 and 50 respectively in the Logan Cup, were ignored.
Dion Myers, dropped previously for poor form, was brought back and asked to open — a position he is not suited for.
He made 12 runs across two innings. Why was he even there?
Wessly Madhevere, once hailed as the future, continues to fail. He averaged 11.25 in the series. His overall Test average is 17 from 15 innings. At what point do we stop rewarding failure?
Behind the stumps, Tafadzwa Tsiga averages 9.40 in Tests and 26 in the Logan Cup. Yet Nyasha Mayavo, who averaged 60.83 and had nearly identical keeping stats, was overlooked. What logic justifies this?
The bowling selections were equally baffling. Victor Nyauchi, with a domestic bowling average of 21, was dropped for “tactical reasons.” Instead, selectors picked Kundai Matigimu, who had five wickets from three domestic games at an average of 37. He took two wickets and scored zero runs in the second Test. Meanwhile, spinner Vincent Masekesa, a proven wicket-taker, was ignored despite home conditions crying out for spin.
Coach Justin Sammons insisted the team had the right balance. If this was the right balance, fans dread to imagine what wrong looks like.
Zimbabwe has won just 2 out of 18 Tests since 2020 — against Afghanistan and Bangladesh. Thirteen ended in defeat. This is not rebuilding. It is regression.
Zimbabwe Cricket has become a haven for underperformers. The same names are recycled while statistically superior players sit at home. There is a clear and dangerous bias toward certain clubs, particularly Takashinga that is choking the national team’s progress.
This must end. Now.
Here’s how to fix the mess:
l Dismantle the current selection panel and appoint qualified, unbiased selectors.
lPick players based on performance. Logan Cup stats must be the only passport to the national team.
l End club-based favouritism. National duty should never be a reward for loyalty to a clique.
l Involve domestic coaches in Test preparations. They know the conditions. Use that knowledge.
Until real changes happen, fans should brace for more humiliations. The Chevrons will continue to be bullied by junior teams while Zimbabwe Cricket hides behind press statements.
The fans deserve better. The country deserves better. Cricket in Zimbabwe is on life support. Either clean house or kill it off altogether.
Brutally honest article, a bit surprised it was actually published. Salute to the editor!
Every stat screams the same truth: Zimbabwe Cricket is run for egos, not excellence. At Queens—our supposed fortress—we looked like the away side in both Tests. The coach and captain had no clue how to read their own wicket, while South Africa’s B‑team milked every inch of it, out‑batting, out‑bowling, and out‑fielding us and keeping our players under constant pressure.
When a 32‑year‑old opener averaging 26 is picked ahead of youngsters scoring 60+ in the Logan Cup, when proven wicket‑takers watch from home so “friends of the system” can wear the cap, humiliation is guaranteed. Wiaan Mulder alone nearly outscored our entire team—because the structure is broken.
Clean out the board, sack the rubber‑stamp selectors, and rebuild on merit and transparency. Make domestic form the only passport to the Test side, involve coaches who know local conditions, and bring back former players who still bleed red to steer the ship. If ZC won’t do that, shut the doors—because fans shouldn’t keep paying to watch a rigged game.